MEMORY TEXT: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Can you imagine the emotions Mary experienced when she went to the shop that sold expensive perfumes? She was there to buy the best oil she could find to anoint Jesus’ body after His death. She couldn’t understand how that could be, but she believed if He had said it.

People in Bethany knew Mary. They had watched her grow up—she and Martha her sister and Lazarus her brother. They knew the children were relatives of Simon, a prominent Pharisee, and that Mary seemed to be Simon’s favorite. They noted the differences between the sisters. Martha was steady, faithful, and responsible. Mary, on the other hand, seemed to be moody, frivolous, and irresponsible. As Mary entered womanhood she apparently decided to earn her living by practicing immorality.

But in Mary’s heart she had loathed her lifestyle and wanted to change. On occasion she listened to some of Jesus’ teachings, and they began to change her. Then one day she confessed her sins to Jesus, and He healed her, changed her, and gave her a new heart.

But her new heart wasn’t recognized right away by the people of Bethany. And I can imagine when she approached the seller of ointments, he thought she was buying the fragrance to make herself more attractive to her clients.

What a reputation she had to live down! I wonder how she faced the stares and whispers of the villagers day after day. This is Mary, isn’t it, the sister of the good woman Martha and of Lazarus? She looks different somehow—cleaner and sweeter. I wonder why she is living at home now. Why would Martha and Lazarus take her back? Could she be sick? Could she have become diseased because of her lifestyle? She acts different. She even dresses modestly now. They say she worships every week at the synagogue.

Mary reached into her purse and pulled out all the money she had saved. It didn’t leave her with much, but that didn’t matter. She did what she had to. She bought the best. She spent her money, not for herself but for Someone else. What a change had come over her. She was a new creation—totally different. She had a new heart.